1. Field
The presently disclosed instrumentalities relate to systems and methods of managing vehicle travel in general and, more particularly, to systems and methods of utilizing vehicle to assess road quality.
2. Description of the Related Art
Open pit mines utilize fleets of specialized vehicles that are specially adapted for heavy haul utilization. These vehicles include, for example, the Model 793F, 797F and MT4400D AC vehicles manufactured by Caterpillar of Peoria, Ill., which have nominal payload capacities ranging from 221 to 363 metric tonnes. These vehicles may be purchased on commercial order equipped with controller area network (CAN) systems.
Data from heavy haul vehicles may be broadcast for use at a monitoring station. This is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,987,027, which shows use of CAN technology on mining vehicles. A wireless transmission system provides for data download/upload functionality to an off-board monitoring system. The wireless transmission system preprocesses acquired machine data and combines data sets to reduce bandwidth in accommodating low-frequency, low bandwidth networks of a type commonly used in mines.
CAN systems such as these provide an overwhelming amount of data concerning the status of various vehicle components. System readings may include, without limitation, what gear the vehicle is operating in at a particular time; compositional analysis of engine exhaust contents such as soot, fuel vapor, carbon monoxide and the like; pressure differentials across such engine components as filters, blowers and the like; tire pressure; alternator output; battery voltage; temperatures including coolant temperature, oil temperature, cab temperature, brake temperature, external temperature and the like; intervals of brake activation; intervals of acceleration and deceleration; windshield wiper activation; grade of road; steering patterns indicative of operator fatigue; hydraulic pump output pressure; quantity of fuel on board, and suspension strut gas pressure. Utilization of this data is typically directed towards analytics for maintenance needs or monitoring of individual vehicles to assure operations within parameters as required under vehicle warranty. Generally speaking, the analytics have not progressed beyond these factors to facilitate improved fleet operations.